These days I'm stocking up on some new components to build my "version 2.0" Xeon workstation, this time big nasty and quiet for the previous build from 2009, see "The quiet beast Xeon workstation" topic

Hey, looks like a good case. I have a dual opteron 6174 system in a cosmos 1000 case, in that one I put the dual fans up top, turned both heat sinks up, and switched the rear output fan around so that it blows into the case. That seems to keep the chips fairly cool, I think they run around 50s-60sC at full load. For my dual xeon system, I have a stack of fans pushing the air, keeps them pretty cool.

I would do the same but I have to place the PSU in the upper position (I had some trouble finding a new big case which allows for good old top PSU placement, the other would've been Lian-li PC-A70B but it has only 7 internal fixed HDD slots and I need 8+2... with Elysium I recycle my old SAS backplanes ), so your setup is fine with PSU on bottom but in that position it'd blow towards the table (<1" clearance) and I'd have to reposition power cable. Courier van is on its way with it, let's see...

Other HSF alternatives would be: 2x Thermalright HR-02-Macho or the new Noctua NH-L12, might even try my good old NH-U12DX

This morning the beast arrived Just finished emptying it from everything that was stock mounted (HDD cages, fans, ties, slot covers, filters, cable rubbers...)I'm writing the TODO list for this new build this time I want it done nicely and perfectly 1) replacing, when possible and useful (i.e. mobo tray), the standard riveted junctions with M3 or M4 double-bolted junctions 2) replacing stock wheels with industrial-duty ones (rated 45kg each)3) tidying up roof connections block to make bay#1 usable with standard 5.25 devices

Will have to study some strengthening method for PSU up there, not that Enermax Platimax weighs a ton but I'd like something sturdier. Then, prepare side exhaust (the 5 tubing holes) and Lian-li slot cooler for cards side placement. I am already thinking about a fully ducted cooling system for everything, from HDD cages to CPUs, hey exhaust grilles are there for something... planning on getting some PVC tubing, Ø80 or Ø100, if I can make something good pipes will be painted satin-black (or maybe shiny silver? )

Mounting industrial-grade wheels and refining top ports compartment. Now first 5.25 bay should be usable (common Elysium issue solved)

Note: I've taken measurements and case bottom should be able to house three Lian-li EX-H34B SATA backplanes, stripped of 5.25 door and rear fan, HDDs pointed towards side panel. Natural convection cooling or three Scythe Slip Stream Slim fans underneath, and with this I could house 12 HDDs maintaining all 5.25 front bays free

Last edited by pm.stacker on Sat Jan 12, 2013 6:34 am, edited 2 times in total.

I have my HDDs in server SAS backplanes since 2009, without any kind of vibration dampening. And they vibrate very little. And keeping frame extremely rigid vibrations are absorbed by the whole case (tested this on my Stacker: an old 7200 HDD vibrated more with a medium-class suspension than bolted to the case! ) of course total suspension with elastic cords yelds the best results (at expense of hot swapping, with some bicycle inner tube it could even be done on these Lian-li cages) but i'm not planning on the dead silent system, just a quiet one (remember, 2x Xeon with 32GB...). A good compromise between quietness, structural strength and power

To gain access to all three molex connectors, a Seasonic triple modular cable and that's it

Using available space on the Delock 47200 tray to mount a simple bi-stable circuit to power on/off the internal LED light and top HDD dock. Unfortunately front plastic panel broke during drilling so I'll have to "transplant" a Lian-li one...

After fixing a couple PCB bugs (didn't connect 5V and GND to the IC... ) now on to testing: system must stay with both relays closed for at least 24 hours. . Unfortunately I was able to place a power-on reset capacitor only for the Dock relay, no space for the other one, so sometimes upon powering on this little circuit, light could switch on. :rolleyes:

Last edited by pm.stacker on Sat Jan 12, 2013 6:41 am, edited 1 time in total.

Solved the relay issue with a 10 times longer RC time constant on the 4013 reset network. Today the big works start I started dismantling the old Stacker-based workstation to transfer the components that will be recycled Placing the VM SSD in between the two slimline ODDs

Time to open this box...

HDD compartment almost filled. Cable simulation with the new 16650 card.

Optical drives condo...

Laying new and old cards on the floor. The hefty and powerful Quadro 4000 always stands out...

A mod I wanted to do but never tried: mounting silent fanless heatsinks on the two i5520 northbridges. As you can see, two Thermalright HR-05 placed side by side are a perfect fit but now I have to build some modified retention brackets, since Tyan placed the HS holes on the mobo waaaayyy distant one from the other and the ones Thermalright includes are too short

Last edited by pm.stacker on Sat Jan 12, 2013 6:42 am, edited 1 time in total.

Testing side cooler placement. Unfortunately fan grilles touch the full-height expansion cards, that would be a non issue if it wasn't for the Audigy2 which has the power connector protruding on that side so: 1) remove grilles and secure cables to prevent getting into the fans 2) mount two Scythe Slip Stream Slimline fans (SY1212SL12SL 800RPM) 3) swap the Audigy2 for an Asus Xonar D1 low-profile.

Testing the new lighting system

Last edited by pm.stacker on Sat Jan 12, 2013 6:42 am, edited 1 time in total.

Today first test power up. For anyone wondering about vibration damping of my DIY 3x4xSATA compartment, tried it with my old 8 HDDs and two Hitachi 2.5": almost NO vibration, even slightly better than with the Chieftec backplanes, and very low vibrations trasmitted to the case. It seems that 11 fixing points and square-sized hollow bars do their job...

The question is how much vibration damping will this HDD cage give you. And the answer is... none.

Not sure how you would go about dampening vibration for 12HDDs. Is soft mount still the best option at the point? How does the vibration of 12 HDD spinning at the same time affect each other (resonance) ?

Of course it depends on which HDD models you have. My WD RE4 drives (4xWD5003ABYX) are 7200 and enterprise but they seem to have only 1 platter and a good spindle motor that produces little vibrations and resonance. Old WD10EADS drives were always good at vibration (EARS are even better but they're mad slow ). And for now the +2 HDDs are two Hitachi HTS547564A9E384, some of the quieter 2.5"s I have.Maybe even horizontal mounting plays a little part in this (my former Chieftec caddies were vertical). All modern HDDs should be mountable in every position but I still think that the motor bearings are designed to work best horizontally, especially nowadays with bolt-thru-spindle drives a rarity.

And remember, the "stock" Elysium is more cheaply built than the glorious Stacker: it uses slightly thinner steel and dosen't have the removable mobo tray. On the Stacker it was removable and it could be flipped for BTX but it had a hefty 6mm welded steel support frame and the tray itself was shaped to maximize torsional rigidity. With full bolting and some reinforcements I somehow managed to get a better Elysium

First power up with everything cabled inside: good silencing to start with, but I'm running it without side panel to check everything's alright.Tested the top HDD dock: my little pushbutton circuit makes it amazing just place a HDD in, then press the red button front all 2+1 Esata ports and Dock are connected to the Marvell 88SE6145 which supports hot-plugging:

I had changed URL to make them invisible out of another forum in which this build was in a competition that now ended and I forgot to re-enable them now I have to do some lil' repair work at my aunt's house, tonight the last mods pics

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